Hi, I'm a Valley Boy. I live in Madera, I've grown up going to the High Sierras in the summertime, but my family didn't go to Yosemite much, too many tourists. But now I'm going to be married. I need help selecting the best site for my wedding.

These are the sites the Rangers have selected for parties of 10+ which ours will definitely be.

I basically want the most beautiful spot. I know that's a matter of perspective, but I also need to consider my guests. I have some older people coming and I don't think they could make a trek into the deep areas of the woods. I'm unfamiliar with most of these sites so I would like suggestions. Thank you

I wanted Glacier Point due to the dramatic views and ease of getting people there, my daughter was not convinced, so the conversation went like this

Her: Let's do it in Toulumne Meadows so we can be very informal, shorts, T-shirts, etcME: That is good and has a great backdrop with the infamous Mt Dana and Lyell, with Lembert Dome, but it is not as dramatic as Glacier Point. Let's look at other options and keep this as a very strong possibility.

A few days laterHER: Looked into the Awhanee and it is expensiveME: Kiddo, Money is not an issue we can afford to put all the guests(35) up, if there is availability, which I doubt, but it is not as dramatic as Glacier Point. Very classy but.... not the back country view you wantedHer OK, let me keep looking

A week laterHer: We can do this at Wawona and they are willing to do the wedding on the lawn and there is space for everyone to stay.ME: Really???? That is nice but for the people coming in from Michigan, Wawona is just another Country Club atmosphere they can get in MI and is nowhere as cool as Glacier Point

A few days laterHer: Ok, I checked on Glacier Point and we can do it on this Saturday date and it will cost us $150 bux and they will give us the Amphitheater ME: That is a done deal.. what took you so long to get it? LOLHer: But where do we do the receptionMe: I have heard about Bass Lake Lodge, and it can be rented exclusively for the weekend, plus there are a couple of places that can house the out of town guests. Let me check on it

In the end we put up our guests at The Pines at Bass Lake, we took over the Bass Lake Lodge for the reception(Not cheap) but very classy and well worth it.Friday the guests flew/drove in and made their way to Bass Lake PinesThe grooms parents rented a pontoon boat and we had a very cool pre-wedding party on the lake on the pontoon boat. The equivalent of a rehearsal dinner, but better.Saturday we had the weddingI rented two medium luxury buses to transport the guests to Glacier Point Saturday AM:mrgreen: A ranger was there to greet us and make sure the tourists did not invade our space during the ceremony. People respected that but were at the very top of the amphitheater to observe the ceremony. No doubt more tourists than guests.Had the wedding ceremonyThe buses took everyone back down the the Bass Lake LodgeHad the reception at the Lodge, catered by Crab Cakes out of Oakhurst - Simply awesome food and the best place to eat in Oakhurst, if you are staying there.Sunday we all moseyed home.This was not a low budget deal, but the goal was to have the wedding at Glacier Point due to its ease of getting people in and out and the dramatic views, which in my opinion are what the park is all about.Bottom line out of all the choices in that list, IMO Glacier Point is the best.

Grzldvt wrote:A few days laterHER: Looked into the Awhanee and it is expensiveME: Kiddo, Money is not an issue we can afford to put all the guests(35) up, if there is availability, which I doubt, but it is not as dramatic as Glacier Point. Very classy but.... not the back country view you wantedHer OK, let me keep looking

You: Okay, how about this instead...you elope, spend a week in Cabo on me, and I give you the rest for the down payment on a house?

MaderaCoyote wrote:Hi, I'm a Valley Boy. I live in Madera, I've grown up going to the High Sierras in the summertime, but my family didn't go to Yosemite much, too many tourists. But now I'm going to be married. I need help selecting the best site for my wedding.

These are the sites the Rangers have selected for parties of 10+ which ours will definitely be.

I basically want the most beautiful spot. I know that's a matter of perspective, but I also need to consider my guests. I have some older people coming and I don't think they could make a trek into the deep areas of the woods. I'm unfamiliar with most of these sites so I would like suggestions. Thank you